Two departments have merged to share the same name: the Department of Visual Art & Design. The previous department names were Department of Art & Design in the College of Arts & Sciences and Department of Digital Media & Photography in the College of Technology.

Rhonda Root, the chair of both former departments and now the chair of the Department of Visual Art & Design, explains the reason behind the change is simply clarity. “Many of our present students wonder which department they are in and new prospective students always puzzle over which department to go to for the degree they want,” says Root. “Our department is always seeking to stay up-to-date with advancements in the fine arts. We want to provide our students with the highest quality fine art education and career preparation possible.”

The new department will be shared by the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Technology, with future plans for the department to be housed within one of the schools. Until it is decided which school the merged department will reside in, all the present degrees offered by the department will remain in their present schools. The College of Arts & Sciences will continue to offer a BA in Fine Art and Art History; BFA in Fine Art, Illustration, Graphic Design, Pre-Art Therapy and Art Direction/Advertising; and BS in Visual Art Education. Meanwhile, the College of Technology will continue to offer the BFA in Commercial Photography, Fine Art Photography and a new degree in Documentary Film.